Love Runs Through Your Veins
by feel-seek-heal
Summary: Clarke and Lexa defeated the Mountain together. But, when Clarke makes Lexa aware of the Skaikru's mistreatment of omegas, Lexa has to take action. Octavia, their third soulmate, just happens to be one of those omegas. A/B/O dynamics Soulmate/Soulmark AU
1. Learning the Truth

**Chapter 1 - Learning the Truth**

 **Hey readers! So this is the first time I'm writing a story with the A/B/O dynamics, and I've kind of taken different ideas and put them together, so it might not be exactly what it usually. I also am using the soulmate/soulmark AU for this story. SO each character has a mark that matches someone else's and it means they're soulmates.**

 **This story starts the day after the Mountain is taken down. In this story, the sky people and the grounders work together to take down the Mountain, so this starts the day after and the Mountain was destroyed the night before. The grounders, including Lexa, are still in their camp outside of Camp Jaha.**

 **Clarke and Lexa already know they're soulmates, and that they have one other soulmate, but they decided to wait until the Mountain was destroyed before they pursued anything with each other. Most of the talking has been done between Clarke and Lexa throughout planning the war. The idea of soulmarks that are filled in differently for each person was an idea I heard somewhere and thought was really cool so I incorporated that.**

 **As far as characters go, Anya is still alive because of course. Gustus is dead though. The Nightbloods exist but the entire concept will be redone because I don't want to use the Alie storyline. Anya and Titus are in a group of advisors that Lexa has, along with others. This small group is not official. It's just people Lexa trusts to give her advice.**

 **Trigedasleng is a written language because of course it is. So all Trigedasleng that I don't know will just be in italics. Because it's a written language, sometime when the characters are speaking the names are changed a little to show that that person think of them as a grounder.**

 **So sorry for all this information! It will not be like this for every chapter. I just had a lot of things to clear up before we start. And this chapter is a little wordy, but I promise that won't be the case in every chapter. Octavia is not yet in this chapter, so I will explain her background in the next chapter. I hope you like the first chapter! Thanks for reading! – Sam**

 **Trigger Warning**

" _Heda! Skaikru leaders are here to speak with you!"_ a guard yells into Lexa's war tent.

Lexa frowns at the unexpected visitation. Quickly putting on her war coat and pauldron, she makes her way to her throne, "Send them in!"

The tent's entrance is held open as Clarke, Abby, Kane, and Bellamy come in. Over the past few weeks, Lexa had become close with Clarke. The many long nights planning a war bled into the girls learning more about each other personally. It hadn't taken them long to figure out that they shared the same soulmark. The three small squares on Lexa's stomach had always been something that bothered her. She needed to focus on leading her people, not love. Those beliefs were completely disregarded when she met Clarke. She knew immediately the other alpha would play an important role in her life. Two days later, when they discovered they were soulmates, Lexa found out she was correct. Of course, they were in a time of war. A new relationship was not their main focus. They decided to put it aside until they defeated the Mountain Men.

"Skaikru, I was not expecting you until later in the day," Lexa nods to each of them. "The celebration will not start until the sun begins to set."

"It is just us for now," the alpha Abby explains. "We wanted to speak to you about what will happen to us now that our common enemy is gone. Our people are wary about our future."

Lexa nods in understanding, "Do not fear, Chancellor. You and your people have proven your worth. Tomorrow, after the celebrations are over, we will work out an alliance treaty between my coalition and Skaikru. Then, if everything seems to be in order in a few months, I will consider bringing Skaikru into my coalition."

The beta Kane steps forward and holds out his arm, " _Mochof,_ Commander."

Lexa is not surprised by his use of her language. As a beta, Kane has always tried to work out compromises between his people and her own. Lexa grabs hold of his forearm, "Of course. Now, go back to your camp and prepare for much celebration this evening."

The alpha named Bellamy also grabs her forearm before he leaves. Kane and Abby follow the boy out, but Clarke hesitates. Lexa narrows her eyes as she notices Clarke's worried pheromones. Lexa moves to stand in front of her soulmate, "What is it, Clarke?"

Again, Clarke hesitates. Her eyes shift from Lexa to the ground and back again. For the first time, Clarke grabs Lexa's hand. The girls had never touched before, worried that it might hurt their resolve to wait for peace to be together. Lexa tightens her grip on the other alpha's hand and pushes out calming pheromones, hoping to help Clarke settle. It seems to work because Clarke begins to speak, "You… you can't create an alliance with Skaikru… You can't…"

Lexa frowns, unsure where this is coming from, "What do you mean, Clarke? Aren't you pleased? We have defeated our enemy and helped our people. We are in peace now… We can be together… We can find our… our other soulmarked."

Although the two alphas had never spoken about it, it was obvious to them both that they had a third soulmate. It was not uncommon for two alphas to be soulmates without another beta or omega, but their soulmark made it clear that another was meant to be in their relationship. The soulmark was made up of two outlines of squares, and one filled in square. But, Lexa and Clarke each had a different square filled in. The right square was filled on Lexa's; the left on Clarke's. On both, the middle square was just an outline, leading them to believe there was another out there meant to be their soulmate. Soulmates of three or even four people was not uncommon, especially for the grounders.

"I know. I know. That's why I'm telling you this. You have to help me."

"What is it, Clarke?" Lexa moves her hands to cup the alpha's cheeks. Now that they have had contact, Lexa never wants to let go, "I will help you with anything. Tell me what is going on?"

Clarke lets out a shaky breath, "I've seen the way your people treat the omegas. There are even omegas in your army!"

The brunette alpha nods, "Yes, we have many omegas in our armies. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Lexa, haven't you noticed that you've never met a single Skaikru omega?" Clarke exclaims. Lexa ponders that for a second. Now that she is thinking about it, Clarke is correct.

"I've always smelled omega pheromones coming from your camp so I didn't think about it," Lexa frowns. "Why are they only inside the camp?"

"Because they're not allowed to leave," Clarke begins to sound desperate, letting her head fall a bit. "Lexa, the Skaikru treat omegas like dirt. The alphas have always been in control in our people. The betas are treated well, but still not as well as the alphas. Lexa, the omegas have no rights in our people. They treated like slaves!"

Lexa's face contorts into disgust while Clarke speaks. She quickly backs away from the girl. It's quiet for a moment before Lexa whispers, "Why?"

Clarke shakes her head, "I don't know… the alphas… they're egotistical. All they care about is power and control… They hurt the omegas… Lexa, I… I would never, I promise… There are alphas and betas who speak out against it, but most are executed… The only reason I haven't been is because my parents were so important… Lexa please, I promise you I would never hurt an omega…"

Lexa huffs out a breath, pulling Clarke into her arms, "I know… I know you wouldn't… you… you need to tell me more about their treatment."

* * *

"The Skaikru alphas have many ways of mistreating their omegas. Omegas born into a family are often physically abused throughout their lives. Omegas born without a family, or omegas whose parents are executed, are sent to live in a section just for omegas. They are given very little supplies, and the alphas and even betas are welcome to come rape them when they want. Once omegas start their heats, things get worse. If an omega is not hidden away in a sealed chamber when their heat arrives, the alphas may do whatever they want with them. Most of the time this results in rape and sometimes unwanted mating. The omegas are always blamed for this and sometimes punished for not hiding during their heat. Skaikru teaches that alphas have no control around omegas in heat, so it is the omega's job protect themselves. Omegas are seen as submissive second class people, barely better than animals. They are taught to obey and never question. They also suffer in other ways, such as not getting as much food as needed most of the time, not being allowed comfort from other omegas during heat, and having less clothing to wear in order for the alphas to be able to look as they please. This was all brought to my attention earlier today by Klark kom Skaikru. Klark is an alpha who, along with a small group of other betas and alphas, thinks this is a disgusting system. They believe things should go the way we run them in my coalition. I wanted you to know what was happening before I took any action."

As Lexa finished her speech, the five advisors in front of her continued to stare in shock. Clarke stands to one side of Lexa, hoping that the advisors would believe that she wanted no part in her people's way. Anya stares harshly at the floor. Clarke knew that Anya would believe her. After the two escaped from Mount Weather together, Anya and Clarke had continued to become close. As Lexa and Clarke planned their war on the Mountain, Anya taught Clarke how to fight. The woman had seen potential in Clarke when the two alphas fought at the dropship, so she took it upon herself to begin Clarke's training. In that time, Anya learned much about who Clarke was, and Clarke knew Anya would believe in her.

Unsurprisingly, it's Indra who speaks first, "We should kill them all."

"Indra, enough," Lexa frowns. "We are not wiping out an entire population of people. We are not committing genocide."

"The clans will never accept an alliance with a people who mistreat their omegas," Anya speaks up calmly. "Omegas are to be cherished. They are just as strong, or stronger, than any beta or alpha there is. The Skaikru are hurting them. The clans will never accept this. I will never accept this."

Lexa knows that Anya is furious. The woman rarely shares her own feelings as Lexa's advisor, preferring to stay objective. Obviously, Anya is extremely angry if she feels the need to tell them what she herself thinks.

"I will not accept this either," Lexa assures them. "You all know I agree with you. But, I refuse to leave behind a legacy of genocide."

"So what is it you want to do instead, Heda?" Rax inquires. Rax is one of the ten close advisors Lexa has. The man was originally training to become the head general of the Podakru, but Lexa found that he served a much better purpose as her advisor. Of the ten close advisors Lexa has, only Titus is not present today.

Lexa lets out a long sigh, "I want to isolate them. I want to bring all of the omegas out and let them live in TonDC. They need time to heal and see how we would treat them. They would be shown our ways. I would also allow any alpha or beta mates to join them. Of course, they would monitored closely. I will not allow them to continue their abuse here, but Klark believes there are some mates that treat the omegas well. I would also allow in the few alphas and betas that agree with Klark and our ways. Klark knows who these respectful people are and will help us to let only them through."

"And what of the others? The Skaikru alphas and betas left behind?" another advisor asks.

Lexa looks from each person to the next as she speaks, "They will be kept in their camp. We will give them time to decide to change themselves, but if they choose not to, we will send in some of our own people to teach them our ways. It may do them good to see the peace we have. They only know us as warriors right now. Maybe if they see the way we treat each other, they will follow our lead."

"And if that doesn't work may we kill them?" Indra huffs out, obviously furious, uncommon for a beta such as herself.

"No, we are not killing them," Lexa shakes her head. "If they continue to refuse our changes, I will consider banishing them to the wastelands. The omegas will stay protected here as all of this goes on."

Anya stands from her seat at the war table, "I think this is a good plan. I agree and support you in this, Heda."

Slowly, the other nine advisors stand and give their support to their Commander. Even though Lexa does not need the support of her advisors, it does give her confidence when she does have it.

Turning to Clarke, Lexa nods, "Send for the Skaikru leaders."

* * *

"Commander, I am confused," Abby states as she stands in front of the Commander in her throne. "We were here this morning and now you have summoned us back before the celebrations. Has something happened?"

"Sha, something has happened," Lexa tries her best to keep her composure. "It has been brought before me the ways that you treat your omegas. Or rather, mistreat."

Lexa sees a flash of panic in the Chancellor's eyes before she responds, "We treat the omegas as they deserve. What does this have to do with anything?"

Clarke knows her mother understands what is happening. She can see the way her mother has tensed as she stands off to the left of Lexa. Stepping forward, she addresses her mother herself, "Mom, you know exactly what this has to do with everything. I see how the grounders treat each other. I refuse to be a part of a people who hurt omegas just for being omegas."

"Clarke, how could you do this to us," Bellamy moves towards her. "We're your people!"

"You are hurting the omegas!" Clarke steps forward as well so the two are chest to chest, "You lie to them constantly about how you have no control over yourselves. They are terrified! I will not be a part of this! The Commander has made her decision on the matter already. I suggest you follow it."

"I'm not following shit from her!" Bellamy shouts back.

"That's enough!" Lexa yells as she stands from her chair, "My decisions are final. The Skaikru omegas will be brought to TonDC to live. I already have warriors in your camp beginning the evacuation. The rest of you will be isolated in your camp. Tomorrow morning I will discuss the changes that need to be made by the rest of you. Now, Chancellor, let us go to your camp."

Abby couldn't argue with an alpha as strong as Lexa. Clarke lets out a sigh of relief.


	2. Explanations

**Chapter 2 - Explanation**

 **Chapter Summary - Raven is introduced. Lexa makes Bellamy upset. Clarke learns of omega bonds. Clarke and Lexa talk to the evacuated Skaikru omegas. Nyko brings interesting news.**

 **Hello readers! The response from the first chapter was insane! I'm so glad that so many of you like this story! I know that I said I would be updating sooner than this, but I got really sick this past week and wasn't able to concentrate on writing. I'm doing much better now, so hopefully updates will be more frequent.**

 **Some more general information for you guys to know: Raven came down with the 100, but Octavia didn't. Octavia's side of the story will be explained more later in the story. Right now, you just need to know that Raven did come down with the 100, and even though she's an omega, she's been treated somewhat better than some of the other omegas because of the need for her skill set.**

 **Also, I mention omega bonding in this chapter. It is a concept that I'm pretty sure I just completely made up. It's explained in this chapter, but it will not play a more prominent role until later in the story.**

 **Thank you again for all the kind words! Seriously, reviews are so helpful when I'm not in the mood to write. It just makes me so happy to hear from actual people who enjoy what I'm creating. Ideas and suggestions are always welcome, so just leave a comment with what you would like to see! Trigedasleng is in italics as always. Thanks again! - Sam**

 **Trigger Warning**

"What the hell is going on?" Raven shouts.

Two enormous grounders just walked into her workshop unannounced. The two just stand there by the door, not giving an answer. Raven can feel the alpha pheromones coming off them, making her nervous. Maybe this is part of the celebration, Raven thinks, maybe the Ark alphas are giving the omegas to the grounders for the night as a thank you.

Then, Clarke walks in, instantly calming the worried omega. Clarke is one of the few alphas Raven actually trusts. The girl had gotten in trouble multiple times on the Ark for speaking out against the treatment of omegas. And, when the delinquents were all sent to the ground, Clarke tried her best as their leader to make sure there was minimal abuse.

"Relax Raven," Clarke tries to calm her. "We're getting you guys out of here. I spoke to the Commander and she's evacuating all omegas from Skaikru. The grounders don't treat omegas the way our people do. The Commander was furious when I told her. She wants all of you out of here immediately."

Raven feels a wave of relief pass through her. If Clarke says this is a good thing, Raven believes her. She nods, "Ok, I need to grab some of this stuff to take it with me. Am I allowed to do that?"

Clarke gives her small smile, "Of course. These are two of the warriors from the grounder army. I brought them here because I knew you'd need help carrying stuff with you. Just tell them what you want to bring and they'll help you with it."

* * *

"Commander, please!"

Lexa just shakes her head motions for her warriors to continue. As the omegas are being evacuated, Lexa is overseeing the removal of all Skaikru weapons. The beta Kane is pleading with the woman to let them keep a few, but Lexa has made up her mind.

"This is ridiculous!" Bellamy shouts, "You can't just take all of our weapons. We need them! You know, for food!"

"You will learn to hunt with our weapons," Lexa calmly states, practiced in the art of holding back her alpha temper.

"Why should we?" the boy questions, trying to take a guns back from one of the warriors and quickly being shoved into the wall by the Commander.

"Because you are all a disgrace! And because I said so. My word is law. You need learn that quickly before I take your anger into my own hands!"

Bellamy fights against the strong hold on his throat, but Lexa doesn't let up. Eventually, Bellamy gets weak from the lack of oxygen and gives up. Lexa finally lets him go and he falls to the floor, gasping. Taking a step back, Lexa gains back her composure. Bellamy sputters out, "We need our guns."

"No, you don't. Skaikru weapons will be banned from my lands from now on. They are what helped destroy the world. They won't become a part of life again."

* * *

"How was it?" Lexa asks as her soulmate approaches.

Clarke gives her a reassuring smile, "Fine. The omegas did not argue. Obviously they were too scared to argue, but it made things easy. There are only a few adult omegas as most are executed on the Ark for crimes they didn't commit. The alphas didn't see the need for them. There are only four or five mated omegas. Their mates are being kept away from them until we can figure out if they were abusing them. We had to bring a couple to the healer's tent because they were in bad shape, including two of the kids that had been hurt in the Mountain. But, everything went pretty smoothly."

"Good," Lexa nods, pleased. Looking around her camp, she sees the uneasy glances in some of the eyes of her warriors. They can feel the nervous pheromones coming from the tent where the omegas were, unsure as to why there is so much fear. Lexa motions for Clarke to follow her towards the tent, "We need to speak to them quickly. I do not wish for them to worry much longer. Do you think they will believe we mean them no harm?"

Clarke sighs, shrugging slightly, "I'm not sure. Some of them are probably aware of my resistance on the Ark. They'll be more inclined to trust us because I'm involved. But I know there are some younger kids that will be beyond terrified. And the ones that were in the omega ward on the Ark… they lived in horrible conditions. It will be a long time before they trust anyone but other omegas."

"Very well," Lexa nods resolutely. "You will speak first then. At least some of them will be more receptive of you than me. Remember, they will be extremely protective over each other right now."

"What do you mean?" Clarke frowns as they arrive at the entrance to the tent.

"Their omega bonds will cause them to be protective of each other."

"What is an omega bond?" Clarke asks, confused.

Lexa turns to fully face her soulmate, not understanding how Clarke could not know what an omega bonds is, "You don't know about omega bonds? Was there some sort of rule against omegas being around each other on the Ark?"

Clarke shakes her head, noticing the obvious shock in Lexa, "I have no idea what that is. And there wasn't really rules against them being near each other, it's just that most omegas were controlled by alphas and betas all the time, so they had no time to be around each other. And during heats, omegas in the sealed chambers weren't allowed to have anyone help them through heat."

"Klark, omega bonding is something all omegas experience around other omegas," Lexa begins to explain. "There is something about omegas that makes it easy for them to become close to other omegas. They have a strong connection to each other. The connection is real. It's as real as a mating bond. Obviously, it's different than that. It's not romantic at all, but it is real. It's healthy for omegas to regularly be around other omegas and feel the bond."

Clarke feels absolutely shocked. She had no idea there was such a thing, "So, all omegas have this?"

"Yes, all omegas can bond with each other," Lexa nods. "It makes them feel protective of each other. This is a potentially dangerous situation in their minds, so they will be overly protective due to the bond."

* * *

As Lexa and Clarke enter the large tent full of omegas, the overwhelming scent of terrified pheromones assaults their senses. Both pause for a moment as they hold back the urge to comfort every omega in the tent. They both remember their purpose here and continue on to the raised platform where everyone can see them.

Clarke knows she needs to speak first, so she quickly clears her throat and takes in the worried eyes of the omegas around her. Immediately, she begins, "Hi there… I know you're all very scared right now, and it's completely understandable. I know that the evacuation was abrupt, but none of you deserved those conditions any longer… I'm sure some of you know who I am, but for those of you who don't, my name is Clarke Griffin. On the Ark, I was close to execution multiple times for speaking up against the way you were all treated. I do not believe in the ways of our people concerning alpha, beta, and omega status. I think all of us are equal and should be treated as such… Now I know that most of you are probably wondering what that has to do with the evacuation… The Commander of the grounders… she and I are soulmarked… As the two of us have gotten to know each other, it has become apparent that their people are against the ways of our people and believe the same things as myself… Together, we decided you all deserved a chance to see what it is like to live in a place where you are seen as equal. So, in a few days you will all be brought to TonDC, the closest grounder village. You will all live there for the next few weeks, and when that time is up, you'll be given the choice to go back to Camp Jaha if that is what you want."

Clarke decides she's said enough; she doesn't want to overwhelm the scared omegas. Taking a step back, Lexa takes her turn speaking, "Skaikru… I want you to know that I was disgusted by the way you were regarded by your people. I am the Commander, and I can promise you that it is not like that here. You will be safe with my people. You are all equal to alphas and betas, and should be treated as such… I hope that in the next weeks you see that you are safe with my people. They have been informed of your mistreatment, and they want to help. Please understand that no one will hurt you here… Now, if any of you have any concerns, all you have to do is ask any guard and they will bring you to me. I will answer any questions you have about anything. Even if it is simply something about our culture. To help give you some more specific information, I have a few of our own omegas coming to see you next. Omegas in our culture are regarded as highly as alphas and betas. They will try to explain things to you better than I have… I hope I have at least convinced a few of you of your safety. And I hope that the rest of you are convinced by my people's actions over the next weeks… I am very sorry that you have all had to deal with such abuse for so long."

* * *

Walking out of the large tent, Lexa immediately pulls her soulmate into her arms, "That was horrible… Did you see their faces? They were so scared…"

Clarke nods, holding the woman tightly. She isn't used to seeing Lexa so shaken up. Normally, the big bad Commander is out. Seeing this version makes Clarke glad that the two waited until now to pursue a relationship together. It's given them time to figure each other out; time to trust each other.

"I know it's bad," Clarke agrees. "I've had to live every day knowing that I couldn't do anything about it, though. I'm just grateful that I can actually help now."

Lexa gives a resolute nod, finally pulling away from her soulmate, "Yes, I am happy that is true… Now, we should probably go back to my tent. I have a feeling that we will be getting a detailed report from the omegas I sent to talk to them. They will have many concerns and I would like their opinions on what to do.

* * *

As the last warrior leaves the tent, someone new is let into the Commander's tent. The boy looks to be about 20, and is obviously Skaikru. He seems to be confident, but both leaders notice his shaking hands and excessive blinking.

He walks up to Lexa, who stands in front of her throne. She wants to calm the omega, not moving to sit in her throne. Instead, staying at eye level with the boy. Lexa tries to pump out calming pheromones, and can feel Clarke doing the same. When she realizes the boy will not speak first, Lexa encourages him, "Hello. I'm Lexa. You can speak freely, I promise."

This seems to give the omega some courage because he starts talking, though in a quiet voice, "I volunteered to come speak to you. The other omegas wanted to see if you would behave differently in private. I said I would come."

Lexa gives a slow nod, "Well, that's very brave of you. Maybe one day you can be a warrior in my army. But, I can promise you that I will behave just the same in private. I do not wish to hurt you or any other omega. I only want for you and the others to be treated the way you deserve. When Clarke told me of how you have all been mistreated, I was horrified… Can I ask your name?"

"Brian… I'm Brian," he says. He can easily recognize the purposeful way she is speaking. Asking if he will give her his name instead of just asking for it gives him even more confidence, "I'm 21… I-I'm really glad that you took us from Camp Jaha."

Lexa hears the strain in his voice; the tension in his muscles as he remembers, "Of course, Brian. I hope that you and the others find some happiness here."

Letting out a glimpse of a smile, Brian crosses his arms, "Yeah, me too. Well… that's all I had to ask. Thank you for being so helpful… And thank you too."

As he glances at Clarke, she smiles at him, "You're welcome."

Brian slowly leaves the tent, a wave of relief washing over all three people involved. Lexa goes to turn around, but the tent is opened once again. This time, Nyko, the healer, enters.

"Nyko! You were my next stop!" Lexa grins, happy to see her preferred healer. Being a warrior, she saw him quite often for smaller wounds. They knew each other quite well.

The beta smiles back at her, "Well I'm thankful I came to you first."

Clarke frowns, "Why? Is something wrong?"

Nyko lets out a long sigh, "Heda… Lexa, Clarke… it's about your other soulmarked."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Make sure to leave any comments, ideas, or suggestions! - Sam**


	3. Meeting Octavia

**Chapter 3 - Meeting Octavia**

 **Chapter Summary - Nyko tells Clarke and Lexa about Octavia. Lexa and Clarke meet Octavia. Meltdowns happen. Rax punches someone.**

 **Hello readers! Thank you all so much for the amazing comments. I love hearing suggestions and ideas that you would all like me to incorporate in the story. There isn't really much explanation for this chapter, but we are finally introduced to Octavia! I hope you enjoy it, even though O is vastly different than her character on the show. It will be explained why in future chapters and she will eventually get back to her badass self. As always, Trigedasleng is in italics. Thanks for reading! - Sam**

 **Trigger Warning**

"Tell me," Lexa steps closer to him, Clarke following her lead.

Nyko puts his hands out to try to placate the two alphas, but he can't sense how tense they are, "Lexa you showed me your mark so that if I ever came across someone with it, I was to tell you. Well the omegas from Skaikru came today and some of them were in very bad shape. They needed to see healers right away. They were brought to my tent and I've spent the last few hours trying to help them… One of them has your mark with the middle square shaded in."

"We need to go now," Clarke tries to push past the man but he gently put his hand on her shoulder, holding her back.

"Wait I need to explain this to you… She's not ok right now… Heda, she's more traumatized than some of the warriors are when coming home from battle," Nyko tries to explain in words Lexa will understand.

"She has a mind illness?" Lexa asks. Many warriors have mind illness when they come home from war. It is not uncommon at all and the healers throughout her lands are trained to help them deal with it. Clarke catches on to the fact that they are talking about what seems to be PTSD, a mental illness many soldiers had when coming back from war in the old world. She had read about it in the Ark archives of the old world.

"It is different than with the warriors. She's been hurt for a very long time and now she's scared," Nyko does not want to upset the two leaders, but they need to know before they see their soulmate. He continues, "The omegas that you spoke to earlier… They will seem happy compared to the omegas in my hut. She is so scared that everyone will hurt her. We only have omegas and betas in the tent right now and she's still terrified, as are the others… The pheromones coming from them… it will overwhelm you both… it is just pure terror…"

Clarke thinks about it for a second, "What is her name, Nyko?"

Nyko quickly replies, having been able to get most of their names already, "She said her name is Octavia."

"Octavia… Octavia Blake?" Clarke thinks aloud. Seeing the confusion on their faces, she explains herself, "You both know that it was illegal for couples to have more than one child on the Ark. Well I remember a few years ago that there was a girl found under the floorboards in one of the families. Her name was Octavia Blake… After she was found, they executed her mother and sent her to live in the omega ward."

"The place where your alphas and betas were allowed free range?" Lexa asked, paling, "I think I might be sick."

Clarke quickly rubs a hand over her back, trying to soothe her soulmate. She also feels sick at the thought of any omega, let alone her own soulmate going through that.

Nyko shifts on his feet and clear his throat, "There is something else… She has a mating bite."

Lexa and Clarke both look up in shock at this news. Clarke shakes her head in sadness but Lexa speaks up, "Nyko… Was it consensual?"

"I have no doubt in my mind it was forced. She will be offered the procedure."

"What's the procedure?" Clarke asks, confused.

Lexa looks at her, realizing this is something else that Clarke's people did not know about, like the omega bonding, "The procedure is a surgical way to break a mating bond. There are a group of healers in the capital that are trained in it. The actual surgery is not that bad, but it only breaks the bond on the omega's side, not the alphas. It is offered to all omegas. Omegas use it when they have been forcibly mated, or if their mate hurts them after they are already mated. Most of the time, the alphas or betas of the mating end up recluses because they are never able to mate again, so we do not take this surgery lightly. Every case is reviewed thoroughly before the procedure is done. We have never had an omega come forward that didn't desperately need it before. It's never failed. If Octavia's mating was forced, as it seems it was, she will be offered the procedure to undo the bond."

Clarke nods, wishing she had known of this before she thought they had already lost their soulmate before they had even met her. Turning to Nyko, she inquires, "Can we see her now or is there something else?"

He shakes his head, "No. I will take you both to her now."

* * *

As consciousness creeps back in, Octavia notices a hand on her forehead. Opening her eyes, she immediately recognizes the beta pheromones coming off of a man above her. Jumping and falling off of the low bed, tears leak from her eyes right away.

Back up until she has nowhere to go, Octavia pleads for forgiveness, "P-Please, I'm s-sorry… I-I'm sorry, please… I-I'm sorry… p-please…"

Recognizing the scent of alpha pheromones beginning to come near her, her tears increase. She curls up into herself: knees under her chin, head over her head for protection.

"P-Please I'm s-sorry! I-I'll behave, I s-swear! I'll b-be good, I-I promise… Please… I-I'm sorry… I-I'm sorry…" She continues to repeat her mantra, but loses volume, hoping her punishment will be light. The alpha pheromones are right in from of her now and she prepares for the blows to start raining down.

Clarke watches from a few feet away as Lexa kneels in front of the small, scared girl. She can't tell if the girl is a bit younger than her and Lexa, or if she's just malnourished, or both. She's shaking violently, obviously trying to protect herself from what she thinks Lexa will do. As the two had approached the tent they had heard the begs from the girl, and their soulmate bonds had pulled them toward her. Both she and Lexa tried to push out as much calming pheromones as they could, trying to sooth the girl.

Lexa decides to quietly speak to the girl as her voice lowers a bit, "Shhh… You're ok, little one… You're ok… You're alright… Everything is alright, little one…"

Octavia doesn't respond to her words as well as she would've hoped. Glancing back at Clarke, she makes up her mind. Moving forward, she wraps her arms around the terrified girl and pulls her into her lap. She screams at the contact, obviously expecting Lexa to hurt her. Instead, when she feels only gentleness, she begins to relax. Noticing this, Clarke moves forward and sits with them. She softly rubs the girl's back as Lexa rocks her back and forth, still whispering soothing words into her ear. All of the calming pheromones coming from the alphas, combined with the gentle arms and touches, forces Octavia into an exhausted sleep.

Lexa and Clarke both continue their movements, not wanting to disrupt the girl's sleep. Clarke whispers to Lexa, "How did you know to do that?"

Lexa shakes her head, "I'm not entirely sure. She wasn't responding to my words. I just wanted her to know I wasn't going to hurt her. I think I realized that I needed to show her what it was like to be held… To have gentle touches… She's obviously never had this."

Clarke agrees, "Yeah… She's beautiful, Lex… She's so scared and I don't know if we can help her…"

Lexa shakes her head, "We're her soulmates, Klark… We are meant to help her… Let's get her to a rocking chair. A lot of omegas like those during their heats, so most alphas and betas with omegas mates use them to calm their heats."

* * *

Octavia once again wakes up to a hand on her forehead. She feels warm – warm and safe. She can't remember the last time she felt even remotely safe. So when she notices the source of the warmth coming from her right side, she snuggles in closer to it.

"Octavia? It's ok, little one… You're safe…" she hears. The vibrations come from whatever she's up against. As she regains more of her senses, she finds that her body is rocking back and forth. Then, she realizes someone is holding her.

Picking up her head slowly, Octavia tries to see what's happening and if she needs to protect herself, "W-What…"

Suddenly, there is a new face in front of her own. The blond hair and blue eyes catch her attention, "You're alright, sweetheart… No one is gonna hurt you, I promise… Just try to relax, little one… You can go back to sleep if you want to."

Octavia finally wakes up all of the way. Regaining her survival instincts, the smell of alpha makes her want to run. She starts to push away from whoever is holding her. Gentle hands, stop her from moving very far, "No, no, no… Careful, Octavia… You can get up. We won't stop you. Just be careful… There you go, move slowly…"

Once she's standing, she can easily see the two alphas in front of her: one blond, one brunette. She recognizes the blond one vaguely, but the alpha pheromones invading her senses push a wave of terror through her veins.

Immediately smelling the omega's scared pheromones, Lexa and Clarke both back up a step to seem less threatening. Trying to avoid another meltdown, Clarke quickly speaks up, "It's ok, Octavia. You know who I am? My name is Clarke Griffin. I was on the Ark with you…"

Sadly, this doesn't seem to make anything better, so Lexa lifts the side of her shirt, revealing their small soulmark: the three little squares, "Look, little one. You and I, we match, right? And Clarke too. Everything is going to be ok now."

Of course, Octavia just becomes even more upset by this, dropping to her knees, "P-Please… I-I'm sorry, alphas… I d-didn't mean to m-mate… Michael just did i-it, I p-promise… P-please, I-I'm sorry!"

This wave of pleading seems more powerful than the one from an hour before. Octavia is past the point of calming down. Realizing they needed to go back to their physical contact approach, Clarke moves forward. Octavia bares her neck at the movement, trying to appease the alphas who are apparently her soulmates. Clarke picks the girl up, bridle style, and carries her over to the rocking chair with Lexa's help.

As the rocking and gentle words of comfort soothes Octavia, he breathing evens out and she relaxes into the arms holding her. She knows she'll be punished for acting this way, so she tries to make up for it, saying, "I-I'm sorry, alphas… I-I couldn't s-stop Michael… H-He j-just did it… I'll b-be good, I p-promise…"

Lexa softly strokes the girl's hair as she kneels in front of the rocking chair, "You're good, Octavia, I promise. You're good. We're not angry about Michael. You don't have to be afraid of him or us. Just try to relax now, ok? Sleep, little one."

Listening to the alphas calming words, Octavia falls asleep again within a few minutes. Clarke sighs as she continues to rock, "Is this how every talk is going to end?"

"We just have to get her to trust us," Lexa shakes her head in sadness. "She's already starting to. She relaxed much more quickly this time."

Clarke nods her reluctant agreement before sighing, "She tried to submit to us. I mean, I was expecting that, but still… it was hard to watch."

"Yes," Lexa replies. "She'll get there. Now, you stay with her. I need to go make sure that this Michael is kept away."

"Lexa, also if Bellamy tries to come here, let him in." At Lexa's questioning look, she explains, "He's her brother. He may be able to comfort her."

* * *

" _Rax!_ " Lexa calls across the opening in camp. The advisor hears and turns to meet his Heda. Lexa speaks quietly as to not alert any of the very few Skaikru omegas who had seemed to venture out of their tent, " _I need you to watch out for a Skaikru alpha male named Michael. We were told that there were a few people out of camp when we evacuated their camp and it turns out that one of them is mated to one of the omegas. My soulmate. He's hurt her terribly. When he comes here looking for her lock him up until I can deal with him. And if Bellamy, another male Skaikru alpha, comes looking for her, go ahead and hold him and send for me. Don't lock him up, he's her brother. I just need to speak with him before he sees her_."

" _Yes, Heda,_ " Rax assures her. " _I will get it done… How are your soulmarked, Heda?"_

Lexa sighs, " _Klark is fine, but Octavia… She's been hurt and traumatized. Nyko compared it to the mind illness the warriors go through, but it's a little different than that."_

Rax nods, " _Well, it was meant to be, so I'm sure everything will turn out well."_

* * *

"Where the fuck is my omega?" Michael yells at the guards. They are in front of the entrance to the grounders camp, and they will not let him enter camp. His omega is in there, though, and he needs to punish her for leaving Camp Jaha.

The guards keep him back from entering, swords extended towards him. He tries to get around but they just follow him, guaranteeing he will stay back.

After a few minutes of yelling at them to let him through, he hears a familiar voice behind him, "Michael? Are you here for O?"

Turning around, he sees Bellamy jogging over to join him. Michael gestures to the guards, "I'm trying to get in to see her, but these motherfuckers won't let me in!"

Bellamy steps forward to try and he speak with the grounder, but is interrupted when a new man walks up to them. The lean, dark-haired man is just slightly taller than Bellamy and Michael. He strides up to them with all of the confidence in the world.

"Which one of you is Michael, and which one is Bellamy," the man asks.

Michael shouts "I'm Michael. Now let me in, you son of a bitch!"

The man, Rax, steps forward. Without warning, he punches Michael so hard that Michael passes out, falling to the ground. Bellamy looks on in disbelief. Rax motions for Bellamy to follow him, "Come, your sister is this way."

* * *

 **Ideas, suggestions, and comments are always welcome! Thanks for reading! - Sam**


	4. Brother

**Chapter Four - Brother**

 **Chapter Summary -** **Lexa and Bellamy talk. Bellamy screws up. Lexa makes a plan. Octavia surprises Clarke and Lexa with a request.**

 _Hello readers! I got a lot of questions about Bellamy, which will be answered in this chapter. I also got a lot of questions about when Anya and Raven will get together. It will be not be too long, but I want to focus on Lexa, Clarke, and Octavia first. Also, Michael will get what's coming to him, however, Lexa is more concerned with taking care of Octavia right now, so it won't be for a little while. As always, trigedasleng is in italics. I live for comments and reviews, so please leave some, even if it's just something short so that I know I'm doing well. Thanks again for reading! – Sam_

 _Trigger Warning_

 **Brother**

As Rax approaches with Bellamy not far behind, Lexa takes a step forward to make it clear he is to stop and speak with her. Bellamy takes the hint as Rax moves away. Standing in front of the Commander, his confidence level drops a bit. He does not like the woman at all, but he gets the feeling she could probably break him in half. And he can feel the power of her alpha coming off of her in waves. She's the strongest alpha he's ever encountered. Only Clarke has ever come close to the level of power radiating off of her.

"Bellamy kom Skaikru," Lexa nods. "You came here with that man… Michael."

The way she spits out his name makes it clear to Bellamy that she hates his sister's mate. Bellamy tries to explain, shaking his head, "No, he was already here when I got here. I came to see Octavia. He's her mate. I don't particularly like the guy, but why was he knocked out like that?"

"Do you have no idea what that man has done to your sister?" Lexa narrows her eyes, "He is a monster. He will never come near her again."

"What do you mean?" Bellamy questions, "He's her mate. They can't be separated or else O will go into abandonment. He's her mate."

"Not for long," Lexa murmurs. At his confused look, Lexa continues on, "As much as I dislike you, Bellamy kom Skaikru, I have no choice but to interact with you now. Octavia is my and Klark's soulmarked."

Bellamy pales, "B-But… she's already mated…"

"Yes, I'm aware. We have procedures to take care of that," Lexa gives him the small bit of information to maybe scare him. "Regardless of my opinion of you, or your opinion of our soulmarks, she is your sister and you may be able to calm her down. She's panicked the last two times she's woken up. A familiar face may help. Come along."

Bellamy follows the intimidating woman's instructions without question.

* * *

"P-Please, I'm s-sorry," Octavia pleads after elbowing Clarke in the stomach as she woke up.

"Octavia, you haven't done anything wrong, I promise," Clarke tries to reassure the girl.

Suddenly, the girl was on her feet and running towards the tent's opening flap. Turning to see what was happening, she hears Octavia shout, "Bellamy!"

Octavia is in the boy's arms, holding on like he is her only hope. The boy holds her as well, watching Clarke and Lexa stand together a few feet away, "Hey O… I'm here… you're ok now… Just relax, O…"

He guides her to sit on the edge of the bed. Lexa notices how her feet don't even touch the ground her heart clenches at the sight of the adorable girl. Kneeling down in front of her, Bellamy asks, "O, what's going on?"

The girl stares down at her lap to avoid anyone's eyes, "The grounders came into Camp Jaha. They brought all of us omegas here. I've been in this tent with some of the others, but I think most of us are somewhere else in camp."

Lexa decides to speak up in order to explain, "This is our healer's tent. It's split up right now so each of you has some space to yourselves. Most of the Skaikru omegas are in another tent. You're here because you needed medical attention."

Octavia finally glances up, meeting Lexa's eyes for just a second. Clarke notices and smiles at the small progress. Bellamy seems unhappy, "Octavia, I just saw Michael and one of their guards knocked him out. They took him away to lock him up."

"Octavia," Clarke tries to catch the girl's attention. The omega glances up at her, "We know he's hurting you. You don't have to deal with that anymore. Me and Lexa want to protect you. Lexa's people have a procedure that can break the mating bond. He's forced the mating, didn't he?"

Octavia keeps her eyes on Clarke, giving a tiny nod, "He came to the omega ward."

Lexa speaks up to explain the procedure, "If you go through the procedure, you will no longer be mated to him. You will be free to mate again, but only if you choose it. No one will force you here. It's a crime in my land. We punish those who force others. Michael will not be able to mate again after the procedure, but his side of the bond will break as well as yours."

Octavia hesitates, eyes shifting from Clarke to Lexa, and back again. After a few moments of silence, she timidly asks, "W-Would I get to b-be with you t-two then?"

A sense of adoration flows through Clarke and Lexa, but is quickly ruined by Bellamy jumping up to stand, towering over his sister, "What do you mean? You can't do that, O! Michael is your mate! He's your alpha! You do what he says! What are you even thinking, you stupid omega!"

Within seconds, Bellamy is on his knees, overpowered by the alpha pheromones coming at him. Octavia looks to the Commander, expecting it to be her, but sees that it is actually Clarke making her brother submit. Lexa sits next to Octavia, putting one arm in front of the girl, shielding her in case something else happens. Octavia is surprised that she does not feel the pheromones coming from Clarke. It seems that her control over her alpha presence makes it possible to only target one person.

Bellamy whines, the sound snapping Clarke out of her rage. She stops the pheromones coming out of her, but continues to stand above the boy, threatening him, "I was hoping that you would be different Bellamy, but obviously you're not. You're just like all the other alphas from Skaikru. You won't be coming near Octavia again until you put some strong consideration into your treatment of omegas."

Bellamy finally shakes off the need to submit, standing chest to chest with Clarke, "He's her alpha. She needs to listen to him. I won't consider anything."

Clarke tilts her head slightly, "Very well… Guards!"

For a second, Octavia panics, not wanting her brother to be locked up. Then, a wave of calming alpha pheromones washes over her, and she knows her soulmarked have no plans to lock him up.

Two guards come in, one answering the call, " _Sha, Wanheda?"_

"Indra will be leaving for TonDC soon," Clarke addresses the tall woman. "This is Bellamy. He needs to learn some respect for omegas. Tell Indra he's Octavia's brother. Tell her to teach him some respect. He'll be going with her to TonDC."

Bellamy rejects this idea quickly, "Like hell I will! I don't know what the fuck game you're playing, Clarke, but I'm not dealing with it. I'll be in Camp Jaha when you decide to become a real alpha."

Bellamy stomps out of the tent. The guards question whether or not they should stop him, but Lexa tells them to let him go. The seed has been planted in his mind, and if ever wants to see his sister again, he'll go to Indra on his own.

* * *

Lexa pulls her arm away from the girl next to her as Clarke kneels in front of them. Clarke decides to reassure Octavia before she starts blaming herself, "Everything's alright, Octavia. Bellamy will come around. You don't need to worry about anything."

Her gaze shifts between the two alphas, noticing her lack of fear for the first time. She gives a little nod before asking a question, dreading the answer, "Where is Mich-… my alpha?"

"That monster is not your alpha," Lexa growls. Calming herself down, she gives her the real answer, "Michael is locked up currently. He is being held until you have decided on whether or not to go through with the procedure."

"Ah, that's what I came to talk to you about, Heda," Nyko's deep voice alerts them to his presence in Octavia's part of the healer's tent. The man motions outside, "Come speak with me alone, Heda?"

Lexa nods, sensing the importance. She turns back to her soulmates, giving a gentle smile, "I will be back soon. I will bring some food with me when I come back. You should eat Octavia. Is there anything you would like?"

Octavia looks surprised by the question, but only Clarke understands. She remembers the way food was withheld from omegas; the way they were given no choices. Trying to avoid another meltdown, Clarke answers, "How about some easy stuff? To help your stomach, little one. Bread, maybe some meat, a little soup."

Lexa gets the message that Clarke knows something she doesn't, so she goes with it, "Ok, that's a good idea. Is that ok with you, Octavia?"

Octavia nods swiftly, not wanting to miss out on eating. She is shocked that they are allowing her to eat after being so bad all day, but she is not sure when they'll next offer it.

"I will stay here with you, little one," Clarke smiles. "Come back soon, Heda."

Lexa chuckles at the name, following Nyko out of the tent.

Clarke immediately notices the confusion on Octavia's face, "What is it, little one? What are you confused about?"

She hesitates, but eventually Octavia voices her question, "I-I thought her n-name was L-Lexa?"

Clarke laughs, "Yeah, it is. But Heda means Commander in trigedasleng, the grounder's language. Lexa is the Commander of all of the grounders."

Octavia looses her breath, panicking, "I-I don't know h-how… I-I'll be good, I-I promise… S-She… I-I promise…"

Clarke recognizes that she can't prevent this meltdown, so she simply scoops Octavia into her arms, already walking towards the rocking chair, whispering calming words to the tiny omega.

* * *

" _So, what is going on with the mated omegas?"_ Lexa asks as she steps into her own tent. Anya, Rax, and Indra are already there. Nyko follows Lexa, who moves to lean against the table.

Anya steps up, " _There are five mated omegas. Only one is not young. Aside from him, there are only 2 other omegas over 25 seasons. It's as if all of the omegas born in the adult's generation just died off."_

" _I would like to look into it, Heda,"_ Indra interjects.

Lexa shakes her head resolutely, " _No, I need you to do back to TonDC. I have a feeling most of the omegas will choose to stay with our people. I need you to ready our people in TonDC so they know what is happening. And I would like the omegas to have more of a family when they move there, so I need you to try and find families that would be willing to take them in and teach them our ways._ "

Indra nods, happy with this task, " _I can do that, Heda. Is there anything else you need from me before I leave?"_

" _Sha,"_ she replies. " _Octavia's brother is an alpha who needs to learn his place. He will be coming to TonDC to learn from you once he realizes he won't see his sister again until he does."_

Indra chuckles, " _Sha, Heda._ "

As Indra leaves the tent, Lexa turns to Rax, " _I want you to lead those of our people in Skaikru territory. I want you to take a group of warriors, alphas and beta only for now, and teach the Skaikru our ways. You are in charge of our people. No violence unless we are attacked first. Teach them, show them how to not be monsters. And look out for those that may already agree with us. If you are sure that someone is like us, then send them here to live. They shouldn't have to stay with the Skaikru if they do not agree."_

Rax nods in his placid way as always, " _Of course, Heda. What about those alphas I think to be worse than most?"_

" _Keep them monitored. If they are really unwilling to learn and change, they will be banished,_ " Lexa instructs, and then Rax also leaves the tent.

Turning to the healer and her mentor, Lexa motions for Nyko to speak, " _Out of the five mated omegas, 3 of them have asked for the procedure, not including Octavia, who seems to want it as well."_

Lexa agrees, " _She will make her own decision… But, sha, she seemed to want it. The other three, are they alright?"_

" _No, Heda,"_ Nyko shakes his head gravely. " _Two of them were also brought to the healer's tent with Octavia. The other has a soulmark that belongs to someone else. She was forced into mating with an alpha that was not her soulmarked. I would agree to do the procedure on all of them. They are all hurt."_

* * *

When Lexa enters Octavia's section of the healer's tent once again, her heart soars at the sight in front of her. Clarke gently rocks and quiet Octavia back and forth in the rocking chair. Octavia seems to be examining Clarke's watch: the one from her father. Lexa knows how much it means to her soulmate, so it means a lot that she is letting Octavia hold it. Lexa takes off her jacket, and slowly makes her way over to the pair, kneeling down in front of them, "Hello. How have things been while I was gone?"

Clarke softly strokes her hand up and down Octavia's back as she answers, "We had a little bit of tears when Octavia found out you are the Commander, but we are very good now. I was telling Octavia about my dad. Right, little one?"

Octavia softly shakes her head, barely moving at all. She continues to study the watch in her hands, only glancing up to looks at Lexa. The alpha smiles and responds, "That sounds very nice. I hope you are not angry about my position, little one. I promise you, it will have no effect on our relationship."

Octavia nods once again, before opening her mouth as if to speak, and then closing it again. Lexa and Clarke share a look, as if to say not to interfere. This works, because after a minute of silence, Octavia speaks up, "I… I think I want that t-thing… So… So I don't have t-to be with M-Michael anymore… I-I just wanna… Be with you t-two…"

* * *

 _Comments are encouraged! Ideas are always welcomed! - Sam_


	5. The Procedure

**Chapter Five - The Procedure**

 **Chapter Summary - Lexa is impatient. Anya helps her old second. Lexa pays a visit to Michael. Octavia briefly wakes up. Rax takes on Abby. Bellamy makes a decision.**

 _Hello readers! I am so incredibly sorry for such a long wait. I am in my last year of high school and these past few months have been crazy with college stuff and keeping up with my AP classes. This just had to be pushed back until now. Thankfully, I am getting to the end of the year, so things should start to slow down, however I cannot promise anything. I will be continuing this story, no doubt, it just may take me a while between chapters until summer starts and I have extra time. Another thing I have been wondering is, I have a lot of ideas for chapters way in the future, like when they have kids, and I wanted to know if you guys would be ok with me skipping around in the timeline, or if you want me to stay exactly on track? Let me know in the comments! Trigedasleng is in italics and I live for comments! Thanks for reading and sticking with the story! – Sam_

 _Trigger Warning_

 **The Procedure**

"Lexa, please stop pacing."

Of course, Lexa continues to pace back and forth, ignoring Clarke's request. Clarke sits in her throne, waiting patiently as her soulmarked walks from one end of the tent to the other and back again.

"Lexa," Clarke sighs, "Isn't there something you need to do? Something to occupy yourself while we wait?"

Lexa shakes her head, "Nyko said it would not take more than half a day. I do not want to miss him when it is finished."

Clarke shakes her head in exasperation, "Lex, it has not even been an hour since they started the procedure. Octavia will be out for at least another hour or two. Why don't you go work on something, and I will come get you when they are finished with the surgery? I will stay nearby."

Lexa finally stops pacing, moving sit on the platform below Clarke, "I am just worried. I do not want Oktevia to wake up alone."

Clarke runs her fingers over her soulmate's hair, "I know. But she will be asleep for a while after the surgery is finished. Nyko will come get us as soon as they are done and then we can sit with her and wait. Go and get some work done. I know you wanted to speak with Anya and send a message to Polis."

Lexa nods resolutely, "You are right. I will go and work. You'll get me as soon as Nyko and the other healers are done?"

"I promise."

* * *

" _Anya, thanking you for waiting so long for instructions_."

Anya nods, her senses clueing her into the distress her Heda is feeling. Nodding, the alpha puts one hand on Lexa's shoulder, playing mentor once again, " _You had more important matters to look after. Are you ok, Leksa?"_

Giving into her need for reassurance, Lexa decides to open up to her former mentor, " _No… Anya, Oktevia is broken… She… I feel sick when I think of what has been done to her…"_

Anya nods gently, leading the younger alpha to sit down, " _You said that she was in the place they called the omega ward? That is where she was hurt?"_

Lexa shakes her head, " _No… I mean, yes, she was hurt there. But, her entire life she has been abused. Her mother and brother were alphas who believed themselves to be better than her. She was kept hidden, in one room, under the floorboards. And then when she was discovered, she was sent to live in the omega ward. The alphas and betas were allowed free range there. I do not even want to think of how many times she was raped there before that monster forced his mating bite on her. And then she had to live with him, and he simply abused her even more… And… And there was no one there to save her, Anya… The people in charge just let it happen. They encouraged it! It makes me feel sick… I do not know how to help her_."

Anya kneels next to her friend, " _How is Klark doing?_ "

Letting out a sigh, Lexa leans toward her mentor a bit, " _Better than I am… She has been around these crimes for so long that it does not surprise her anymore. I hate not understanding_."

Anya shifts so that Lexa looks right at her, " _Leksa, when you were seven and the previous Heda told me you were my new second, do you know what the first I learned about you was?"_

" _No, what was it?"_ she asks.

Anya smirks, " _That you like to know everything. I could not have a single conversation with anyone without you asking me what it was about. I could barely move without you following me to find out exactly where I was going. Knowing everything gave you a sense of control. Then, when you became Heda, you were handed control by everyone. No one ever questioned you. You have more control than anyone else alive, and you thrive on that. But now, you have this girl. And she needs you more than anyone. She needs you and Klark and that's it. But you don't have control over the situation, and that is hurting you, because the one girl you are meant to protect over all others, you weren't able to. It's not your fault, though, Second. Oktevia is with you and Klark now. Neither of you will ever let her be hurt ever again. Remember that there is a reason you're her soulmarked. Your soul is meant to be with theirs'."_

Lexa smiles, letting a few tears fall. Hugging her mentor tightly, she says, " _Thank you, Mentor… Now, as for your instructions, I want you in charge of the omegas. I have some of our own omegas working with them to convince them that our people will treat them well, but eventually they will need to see that from an alpha."_

" _And I will be that alpha?"_

Lexa nods, " _Correct. When they're ready, I want you to slowly introduce yourself to them, along with some other alphas you think would do well with them. Show them we are good._ "

* * *

" _Heda!"_ one of the messengers greets. A group of messengers stand by the edge of camp, ready to mount their horses. One steps forward, " _What can we do for you, Heda?"_

Lexa lets a small smile on to her face in order to calm them, " _I just need to send out a message with you to Polis. I need you to tell Titus that I want him and the Nightbloods to come here immediately. Tell him it is not urgent; I just do not wish to spend much time away from the Nightbloods."_

The messenger bows his head, " _I will deliver it for you, Heda."_

* * *

" _Fuck!"_ the curse word echoes through the training ground as Lexa puts down another opponent. She feels somewhat bad for them, knowing they have no chance, but she needs the release. Her soulmate is in surgery; she needs to let go of her frustrations.

She bends down, offering her hand to the beta warrior. Helping the woman off of the ground, she says, " _You fought well."_

The woman chuckles, " _Sha, but still no chance against you."_

"Lexa!" her name is called out across the training grounds. Turning to see her soulmarked, she sheaths her sword. Clarke walks up to her, only slightly out of breath, "Hi. Nyko just told me they finished the procedure. He said everything went perfectly and she will be asleep for another few hours."

Lexa nods, suddenly not feeling the overwhelming urge to go to her soulmate's bedside, but instead somewhere else, "I will be there soon. I am going to go see how our prisoner is doing. He should be feeling the effects already."

Clarke tilts her head a bit, one hand taking Lexa's, "Alright, just… don't let him into your head. He will get he deserves, just wait until Octavia can get some closure first."

Lexa agrees, mentally preparing herself to face the man who abused her soulmarked.

* * *

The loud creaking of metal clangs through the cells. The Commander moves with precision and power, not letting herself seem anything but a predator. The sounds of pitiful whines echo around her as she makes her way to the cell at the end of the underground hall. As she looks into the cells, she sees Michael up against the far wall, writhing in pain.

"What did you do to me?" he asks.

"We did nothing to you," Lexa answers. "We did however give Octavia the choice of staying your mate. She decided to leave you."

Michael growls, "That's bullshit! That little omega would never go against me! Now, what did you do to me?"

Lexa sighs before pushing her most threatening pheromones towards the man. Michael screams, baring his neck to her. Lexa quickly continues, "As I said, we did nothing to you. We have a procedure that lets omegas become un-mated. Octavia was given the choice, and she chose the procedure. It wasn't hard for her to go against you when her two soulmarked are the most powerful alphas known. The alphas who rule over every person existing."

Michael continues to whimper, "Make it stop. It hurts."

"Good. I'm glad," Lexa smirks. "This is only the beginning of your pain, little boy. I will let you suffer this separation for two more weeks. Then you will face death by a thousand cuts."

* * *

"How much longer do you think she will sleep?" Lexa asks, holding her smallest mate's hand.

Clarke shrugs and leans forward, resting her own hand on top of theirs, "Nyko said it would take a few hours and it's already been two… so hopefully she'll wake soon."

Lexa nods and then pulls away. She moves towards the water pitcher on the table near the tent's exit. She pours a small glass of water, timidly questioning, "Do you think we did the right thing? Letting her do this so quickly?"

Clarke frowns, "We gave her the choice. She chose this. If we were to deny her her own choices, we would be just as bad as the Skaikru alphas."

Relenting, Lexa agrees, "You're right. I just worry that everything is happening very quickly."

"Yeah, I understand. But now she can take as much time as she needs. He's out of her life. She can go at her own pace for everything else."

Lexa quickly nods, "I wish she would wake. I want her to feel free now that he's gone."

"It kinda hurts…"

Both alphas' heads snap around to look at Octavia. Her eyes are squinted, barely open and she looks slightly pale, but overall pretty good. Lexa rushes to take her previous spot next to her, "Would you like some water, little one?"

A tiny nods prompts Lexa into motion. Gently helping the weak girl into a slightly upright position, her oversized shirt shifts to the side, exposing her bandages. Her entire shoulder is covered in bandages, hiding away the spot where her unwanted mating bite used to be. Clarke grabs the cup of water and helps her drink as Lexa holds her up.

After a small sip, Octavia moves to lay back down. Clarke enquires, "Where does it hurt? Right on your shoulder?"

The omega gives another small nods before her eyes flutter shut again. Running a gentle hand over Octavia's forehead, Lexa whispers, "It's ok. Sleep, little one. We will be here when you wake again."

Surprisingly, Octavia seems to burrow towards Lexa's soft hand before letting out a sigh and succumbing to sleep.

* * *

"Chancellor Griffin, I'm Rax. The Commander sent me," Rax greets the woman as he stands at Camp Jaha's front gates. The woman's alpha pheromones are being pushed towards him, but he is used to Heda's naturally overwhelming pheromones. These are nothing to him.

Abby nods at the man as Kane moves past her to shake his hand. Abby rolls her eyes at the beta's attempt to appease the man sent by the Commander. She has a camp full of angry alphas and a bunch of betas stuck in the middle of all this while the grounders get all of their omegas and keep the rest of her people trapped in Camp Jaha. She is furious with the Commander. This man was sent by her, but he seems peaceful enough, so she decides to speak with him, "Rax… has the Commander sent you to talk negotiations? What shall we give you for our omegas back."

Rax holds back a growl, knowing he needs to lead by example, "The removal of the omegas has nothing to do with bargaining. They were given a new home with only alphas and betas who respect and cherish them. My people do not agree with your people. We have given them all the option to leave if they want. Not one of them has asked to come back, so they will stay as long as they please."

"And what, may I ask, are you doing to them over there in that camp of yours?" Abby snarks.

Rax frowns, "We are not doing anything to them. They are simply in peace; being shown that alphas and betas do not have to be abusive towards them. We are showing them that they are equal to everyone else."

"That's bullshit and you know it!" An alpha guard step up behind Abby, yelling, "Omegas are submissive little bitches who deserve what they get! They can't stand up to us!"

"Oh really?" Rax raises an eyebrow, questioning the weak alpha. Heda had told him not to bring any omega warriors into Camp Jaha, and he wasn't going to, but he did have some of them with him on the escort from the war camp to their gates. He turns towards the back of his ranks, calling out, "Would any of my weak omega warriors like to come forward and try to stand up to this big, strong alpha?"

Some of his warriors chuckle, excited to see the alpha put in his place. A woman comes forward. Rax smells the omega pheromones coming off of her and he's steps to the side. She walks straight up to the Skaikru guard, crossing her arms, "You can tell I'm an omega, right? And you think I can't stand up to you? Go ahead and try to put me down."

The Skaikru guard bellows with laughter, as do many other Skaikru watching on. Abby smirks, stepping aside as well. The guard crosses his arms as well and quickly starts releasing dominating alpha pheromones. The omega warrior doesn't even flinch, continuing to smile, holding her ground. The alpha quickly becomes frustrated, releasing strong pheromones and balling his fists at his sides. This goes on for a minute before other Skaikru decide to cheer on the guard. It seems to fuel the alpha and his pheromones get stronger. However, the omega doesn't budge. After almost five minutes of nothing, the omega shifts her weight to one foot and rolls her eyes, "Is that it?"

"That's it, you bitch!" the alpha yells. He charges at her, but she easily dodges him. Before any Skaikru realizes what's happening, the guard is on the ground with the omega's boot on his chest.

Before the situation can escalate, Rax steps forward, ordering his warrior off of the man. Another guard helps his friend off of the ground, both of them seemingly mortified. Rax turns to Abby, "As you can see, omegas are plenty strong enough to take on alphas. You have two choices Chancellor: continue on believing in the abuse you have committed and end up banished to the Wastelands, or learn from my people and have a chance to redeem yourself and your people."

Abby clenches her jaw. She can't very well kick him out of the camp. The grounders had taken all of their weapons, and the Commander has an army they can't defeat. She decides to play along and see what it is the Commander wants, "Very well. We will agree to a temporary truce. As long as your people don't attack my people, you're all welcome in camp. And, only as much as I allow, you may try to teach my people."

* * *

Bellamy treks through the forest carefully. He is not trying to stay quiet, hoping it will alert the TonDC guards to his presence and make them not think he is sneaking up on them. His mind continues to debate whether this is the right decision or not. First, he thinks of how Octavia went against her alpha and he considers turning back in support of the alpha. But then he thinks of the fear in his sister's eyes when he spoke to her in such an awful way. He thinks of the way she seemed to easily gravitate towards Clarke and the Commander. The two alphas were O's soulmates, but it was still wrong for O to disobey. At least that's what he keeps telling himself.

The same debate rattles on in his head, not giving him time to recognize that he's come to the entrance of TonDC. A deep voice booms, "Stop! Who are you, Skai boy? And what is your business here?"

Bellamy puts his hands in the air as fast as he can, not wanting an arrow through his chest. He finds six warriors aiming different weapons at him from a little way away. Answering quickly, he says, "My name is Bellamy Blake. My sister is Octavia Blake, soulmarked of your Commander. I'm supposed to come see someone named Indra."

A moment of silence and then another rough voice, "Weapons down!"

The warriors all stand down and straighten out as a woman comes out of the shadows and walks towards him. Bellamy gathers the courage to ask the intimidating beta, "Are you Indra? I'm unarmed."

The woman does not stop until she's a foot away from him and then punches him right in the face. Bellamy falls to the ground from the strength of the hit, only barely registering her question, "Why are you here, Bellomi kom Skaikru?"

"Because she's my sister!" He yells back, standing up, "She's my sister and I want her to love me again. I don't care what I have to do in order to make that happen."

Indra narrows her eyes at him, arms crossed. Bellamy doesn't back down, keeping his eyes on hers. Eventually, she gives a short nod, "Good. You have a lot to learn, Bellomi kom Skaikru. Follow me."

Bellamy sighs but keeps up with her. He has a feeling this woman is going to kick his ass more times than he'll be able to count.

* * *

 _Comments and ideas always help encourage me to write! Thanks for sticking around after such a long wait! - Sam_


	6. The Nightbloods

**Chapter Six - The Nightbloods**

 **Chapter Summary - Lexa explains Grounder culture to her soulmates. The Nightbloods arrive in the war camp. Bellamy gets his ass kicked. Anya addresses the Skaikru omegas and meets her soulmarked. Octavia gets the chance to omega bond.**

 _Hi there readers! The original AI, Becca, exists and that storyline of how the bombs went off is used, but there is no Alie or City of Light. The Flame is still around, but now it simply helps the Commanders lead and connect with past Commanders. The Nightbloods are not forced to fight to the death now because Lexa refuses that way of life. The previous Commander was cruel, and forced it on them, and Lexa now hates violence because of it. I really hope you enjoy this chapter! Trigedasleng is in italics as always. Thanks for reading! - Sam_

 _ **There's a list of the Nightblood's, their age, and their ABO status in the notes at the bottom!**_

 _Trigger Warning_

 **The Nightbloods**

" _Heda, the Natblidas should be arriving this morning," the guard tells her quietly, mindful of the sleeping omega next to her. "The messenger said that Titus will be joining them as you asked."_

" _Good, mochof,"_ Lexa nods and dismisses the guard. She bows her head a bit before stepping out again to help guard the healer's tent. Turning to Clarke, Lexa smiles, " _Would you like to hear about the Natblidas? I have not told you about them before, have I?"_

Clarke smiles softly at Lexa's apparent excitement and nods, " _Sha, but first we switch to English. Our little one has just woken up and is listening."_

Lexa's eyes flick to Octavia quickly, realizing Clarke is correct. Smiling and putting on the softest face she can, Lexa takes her seat next to the bed again, "Hello, little one. How do you feel?"

Octavia's timid eyes shift back and forth between the two alphas. Seeing nothing but concern, Octavia quietly answers, "I-I'm ok-k… I-I think…"

"Good. Do you remember why you're here?" Clarke asks, trying to gauge how the sedatives are still affecting her.

Octavia hesitates before answering, "I… T-They took my m-mating bite a-away…"

Lexa resolutely nods, "That's right. You woke up for a few minutes yesterday, but the sedatives were still pretty strong so you probably don't remember. Does your shoulder hurt? We can get you more pain medicine if it does."

Shaking her head a little bit, Octavia looks around for a second. Then, softly, she inquires, "Does Michael know?"

Clarke and Lexa immediately exchange glances. Not wanting to hide anything from their mate, Clarke answers her truthfully, "He does… It's hurting him physically."

Frowning, Octavia looks away, "What will h-happen to him?"

Lexa sighs, not wanting to upset her, "Michael will suffer the pain for two weeks… Then he will be executed for his crimes, along with a few other Skaikru alphas."

Tears fill Octavia's eyes, "I-It's my fault-t…"

Lexa conclusively shakes her head, "No, little one. None of this is your fault. It is his fault. He had no right to hurt you, and he will pay for that."

"Why don't we talk about something else?" Clarke asks to change the subject, "Lexa, you were going to tell me about these Nightbloods?"

Lexa nods, letting a rare grin shine through, "Yes, my Nightbloods should be here before midday. In order to become Commander, you must be a Nightblood. Here, I'll show you."

Grabbing a small dagger from a side holster, Lexa and Clarke both notice Octavia tense up. Deciding it would be best to simply move on and show her they wouldn't hurt her, Lexa pricks her left hand just a bit. Putting the dagger away, she shows Clarke and Octavia her black blood. Octavia frowns, seemingly confused, while Clarke grabs Lexa's hand to examine the blood.

"That's impossible! What is that?" Clarke asks with wonder in her voice.

Lexa smiles, "It goes back to the first Commander. Before the bombs dropped, there were people who were trying to create life, artificially. When they finally succeeded, it decided to cleanse the Earth by sending off every nuclear bomb in the world. Of course, it worked for the most part. And those who survived the bombs were going to die from the radiation, from the bombs. However, one of the women who had helped create the life, decided that she needed to help the Earth survive. So she created the Nightblood and the Flame and came back to Earth. The Flame is a small computer that connects all the Commanders. It is why I can hear past Commanders when I meditate and when I sleep. The Nightblood helps you survive the radiation. When the woman came to Earth, those left deemed her the Commander because she helped them survive. Then, when she died, the Flame was passed to the next Commander, one with Nightblood. It's how we have survived all of these years on Earth. When a child is found to have the Nightblood, they are brought to our capital city, to train under me."

"Wait, this Flame, where is it now? You said it connects you to past Commanders, but how?" Clarke inquires, very curious.

Lexa turns in her chair, pulling her braided hair away from the back of her neck. Clarke and Octavia look at the infinity tattoo and the scar underneath it, finally comprehending that the Flame is inside their soulmarked. Clarke runs her fingers over the tattoo and scar, thinking over everything Lexa had just explained. Trying to connect her own history to Lexa's, she realizes that the first Commander that Lexa spoke of, came from the Sky. Lexa had said that she had come back to Earth, which meant that she had been somewhere else. Unsure but considering, Clarke think of whether her mother knows more about the Thirteenth Station's history.

Lexa continues, "The Flame is given to the one who is chosen as the next Commander. Ascension Day is honored in our capital. The Nightblood children have been staying in Polis, our capital, while the war on the Mountain Men was going on. But, now that it's over, I want them here. They should see how the Skaikru are mistreating the omegas. They should learn more respect for our ways from this."

Octavia quietly asks, once she's sure she won't interrupt either of them, "How old are they?"  
Smiling softly at the still frightened omega, Lexa tells her, "They are very young. Younger than you, little one. The oldest, Nizon, is fifteen summers."

"And you force them to Polis at such a young age?" Clarke scowls, unhappy with her soulmarked. "You force them away from their families?"

Lexa quickly disputes her, "No, no, no, of course not. When a child is found to have Nightblood, they do have to come to Polis. However, their families come as well. I would never separate children from their parents like that. Their families are given homes in Polis, while the children train with me. Most of the Nightblood stay with their parents until they are a little older, and then they move into my tower to live. However, it's up to them and their parents when they decide to move into the tower. And, even when they do, they still see their parents regularly."

Clarke nods, resolutely, "Good."

"They should be here soon," Lexa tells them. Standing up she says, "Actually, I should go out to greet them. Most of them have not been in a war camp before, and even though this war has passed, it will probably still scare some of them. Their parents will have stayed in Polis. Will you be alright with Clarke, little one?"

Octavia slowly nods, getting a little tired again. Clarke immediately notices and decides to make sure she knows it's ok to go back to sleep, "We'll be fine, Lex. And besides, I'm a little tired. Maybe Octavia and I will just take a little nap."

Octavia looks relieved at the fact that she'll be able to sleep.

* * *

" _Heda!"_ a little voice shouts over the noise of the camp, " _Heda, we're here! Where are you?"_

A few of the warrior's chuckle as the group of _goufas_ walks through camp, nine-year-old Sando yelling for their _Heda._ When Lexa hears them, she lets out a rare grin as well, following the cheerful voice.

" _Sando, you don't need to yell,"_ Lexa steps into the clearing up ahead of them. Quickly she has her arms full of her two youngest. Neutro and Eton are not just omegas, but they're also very young, and the overwhelming pheromones coming from the war camp has obviously frightened them. Lexa kneels and pulls the six and seven year olds closer, pushing out reassuring pheromones for them. It's clear that Titus is not close to them, otherwise they wouldn't dare show this much vulnerability. Even at such a young age, Titus expects only strength from them. Lexa, on the other hand, knows how hard it can be to go through what they are and only ever wants to comfort them. However, Titus has rubbed off on the Nightbloods and they are cautious when he's around.

" _Heda, Sando has been bothering us all the entire trip here,"_ the eleven-year-old Katya complains. " _Can you make him do extra training tomorrow as punishment?"_

" _Well, I think a good apology will suffice,"_ Lexa mediates. Feeling the little omegas in her arms continue to shake, she whispers to them, " _Little goufas, I have a surprise for you. My soulmate Klark and I have found our third soulmate. Her name is Oktevia and she's an omega like you. But, she's kind of hurt right now. Do you think that if I took you to her, you could maybe help her feel better?"_

Eton's little face looks at her for a second before hiding in her shoulder again, " _Why's she hurt?"_

Lexa sighs, " _Well, there was a bad man who hurt her. But, now she's safe and I think she would really like it if she could maybe bond with you guys? She hasn't had the chance to bond with many omegas in a while."_

" _I wanna bond with her, Heda,"_ Neutro's quiet voice says.

Lexa smiles, picking them up to bring them to the healer's tent.

* * *

"Oh my god…" Bellamy groans as he's thrown to the ground once again. He moans as he tries to turn his body around, but Indra is already over him again, yelling for him to get back up.

They've been going at it all day. Indra decided the first thing Bellamy needed was a big dose of strong omegas. So, since daybreak that morning, one omega warrior after the other has been besting him in their sparring. His body is screaming at him to stop this torture.

"What is it, Skai boy?" Indra mocks, "You can't take down a single omega?"

Slowly, Bellamy drags himself to his feet, readying himself for the next attack. Just as he's hoping he may get a break, an enormous omega walks toward him. As the man brings up his hands to attack him, Bell almost pisses himself. He puts his hands up in surrender and pleads, "Alright, alright please no more! I get it, ok? I get it. I can't beat any of you! Please, no more, my body can't handle it!"

Indra sighs in irritation but steps in between the Skai boy and her warrior. She pushes him towards the village's living area, "Go rest, Skai boy. Tonight I will speak to you again."

Bellamy lets out a breath of relief and hurries away before she changes her mind.

* * *

"Hello there…" Anya starts, feeling very awkward. Lexa had trusted her with the job of helping the Skaikru omegas, but she had no idea how to do it. Looking around at all of the scared, young faces staring back at her, Anya was suddenly filled with a sense of protection. Most of them had some sort of visible bruising, if not worse. Many of them were hanging on to each other, drawing strength and comfort. Anya decided she had to do her job well, otherwise these young omegas would never know what it's like to feel happiness, "So, I know that many of you are feeling very scared right now, and I would feel the same way if I was in your place. But, my job right now is to teach you all that you're safe here; that you no longer have to be afraid."

Seeing that she wasn't really reaching any of them, she decided to go a new direction, "Now, as I'm sure most of you can smell, I am an alpha. I know that scares most of you, but I promise there's no reason for that. See I grew up with two omega parents and one alpha parent. And the most important thing that my alpha parent taught me was to always respect omegas. See, you all do more than I could ever dream of. You're able to keep calm when most alphas would not be able to. You're the ones able to create life. And, in my people, you're able to still be just as powerful as any alpha there is.

"I know that some of you have noticed, but there are many omegas who are warriors in my people. Many of them are able to beat my best alpha warriors. This is our way. We respect and care for our omegas. We don't succumb to the stupidity of the Skaikru alphas. I promise you that you're safe here to live whatever life you please."

Slowly, Anya had noticed a few of them perk up a bit at the way she was talking. Feeling a renewed sense of hope, Anya decided she needed to hand it off to an omega, to give a first-hand account to them. Stepping aside, she let one of her omega warriors take over.

An hour later, Anya watches as a few groups of the braver Skaikru omegas venture out of the large tent. Slowly making her way out, Anya stretches out her muscles. She had taken special care to not move quickly of unexpectedly at all while in the omegas' tent, and she feel stiff after sitting still for so long.

Suddenly she hears a commotion from inside the tent, but before she can go back inside to assess the situation, an omega comes limping out of the tent, followed by a few others trying to hold her back. Anya waits, shocked, as the girl walks straight up to her and pulls her shirt down one shoulder. Anya watches as the girl's soulmark is revealed.

"You have the same mark as me," the girl states, unemotionally. Anya stands, shocked.

* * *

"Lexa, you've brought guests," Clarke laughs as a group of kids rush in behind her soulmate. Octavia tense a bit in the bed, but Clarke just tightens her grip on the girl's hand and pumps out more calming pheromones.

"Yes, well they wanted to meet the two girls I've been writing them about," Lexa smiles at them as she carries the youngest two closer to her soulmates. Nizon, her oldest _Natblida_ at 15, guides the others over to the other side of the tent. Lexa nods at him thankfully, knowing he realizes the implications of Octavia's procedure and what it means.

"Hi there, little ones, my name is Clarke," she softly introduces herself to the obviously scared children. It warms Clarke's heart to see her soulmate holding the two small children.

The boy peeks at her for a second before looking at Octavia. Clarke can tell that he's concerned by her physical state, and Lexa immediately explains, " _Goufas_ , this is Klark and Oktevia. They're my soulmarked. Oktevia's a little bit hurt right now, but as long as you're gentle I think she'd like it if you sit with her?"

Octavia's eyes immediately brighten at the idea, wanting to be near the little omegas. She tries to give Eton a little smile, and apparently it works because he climbs from Lexa's arms on to the bed right away. Eton grabs her hand and Octavia feels the omega bond start to take effect instantly. Eton comes closer and lays down next to her as Neutro leaves Lexa's arms as well. Eventually, both Eton and Neutro are cuddled up to the older omega, contentment on all of their faces. Clarke moves back to stand next to Lexa, "I've never seen an omega bond before… They're… It's amazing… I can feel their attachment towards each other."

Lexa nods, happy she was able to help Octavia feel so content.

* * *

 _Thank you for reading! Comments, ideas, and suggestions are all encouraged!_

 _The Nightbloods_  
 _6 – Neutro (Female, Omega)_  
 _7 – Eton (Male, Omega)_  
 _9 – Sando (Male, Alpha)_  
 _11 – Katya (Female, Beta)_  
 _13 – Aden (Male, Alpha)_  
 _13 – Tamin (Female, Alpha)_  
 _15 – Nizon (Male, Omega)_


	7. New Jobs and New Relationships

**Chapter Seven - New Jobs and New Relationships**

 **Chapter Summary - Titus and Lexa talk. Lexa reassures Brian and the other Skaikru omegas. Clarke and Lexa talk about the Nightbloods. Raven and Anya talk.**

 _Hi there readers! I'm so sorry for the long hiatus, but I will try to update more often from now on. I am going to be working on both this story and Burdens and Bonds, another story I've posted on here. There's not much to say about this chapter so I hope you enjoy! Trigedasleng is in italics as always._

 _I was having trouble uploading on here which is why I had that authors note before, but I seem to have fixed the problem. So, I uploaded chapters 4, 5, 6, and now this is 7. So you have a few chapters you can catch up on and read!_

 _I would really appreciate if you could leave a comment. Hearing feedback is so helpful and motivating. – Sam_

 _Trigger Warning_

 **New Jobs and New Relationships**

" _Titus,"_ Lexa greets formally. " _I hope your journey here went well._ "

Titus nods stiffly as he looks around the war camp. Slowly, the camp had turned from less of a war camp and into just a camp. There were no longer weapons lying all over the place and strong pheromones being pushed out from all directions. Now, most warriors were dressed in more casual clothes and walked around the camp unstressed and relaxed. This seemed to make it easier for the Skaikru omegas to start to adventure out because Lexa could see a couple groups of Skaikru omegas slowly exploring the camp.

As Titus looks around he replies, " _My journey went well. The Natblidas were much less alert than I would have liked though. I think they need more discipline training. Where are my Natblidas, do you know?_ "

Lexa get fed up quickly by his words, and is already on edge from all of the bullshit from the past few days. This causes her to somewhat explode on the inconsiderate man, " _First of all, the Natblidas are mine, not yours. I want that to be very clear Titus. Second, they are children. They do not need any more discipline training; they need a day off to rest. They are currently with Klark and Oktevia, our other mate. I would like them to be with me the rest of the time I'm here. I've decided they need a break from your strict teachings."_

Titus looks baffled and appalled, " _A break? That's ridiculous. What would I do with my time if they were to have a break from me."_

Lexa smirks, knowing Titus will like her alternate jobs for him, " _It has only been short while, but Rax has already reported the names of some Skaikru alphas that he believes will be unable to change their ways. I would like you to try to get through to them. In any ways you think may work. And if you still cannot get through to them, I would like you to be the one to take them to wastelands."_

Lexa slowly watches Titus's eye light up as she explains his new jobs. Lexa has known for a long time that Titus is too harsh to be working with the young _Natblidas_ , but has never felt confident enough in her role as _Heda_ to change his role. However, after uniting the clans into the coalition and then helping to defeat the Mountain, Lexa finally feels as though she is a strong, worthy Commander. With this new confidence, Lexa feels like she can take more charge concerning more traditional aspects of her culture, starting with replacing Titus with a new, gentler Flamekeeper. Sending Titus to do a new job will help distract him as she figures out who she wants his replacement to be.

Titus easily agrees to Lexa's new plan for him, asking, " _Would you like me to find someone else to help you with the Natblidas?"_

Lexa shakes her head, " _No, I will be teaching them myself while they are here. I want them to learn from Skaikru's mistakes."_

* * *

As Lexa walks back towards the healer's tent, she hears a voice call out to her, "Commander!"

Lexa recognizes the voice and turns to find the Skaikru omega, Brian, walking towards her with a few other hesitant omegas following a few steps behind. Lexa lets herself smile at them, trying to make them feel as welcomed as possible. She's happy that she made a good enough impression on Brian that he feels comfortable addressing her again.

"Brian, it is nice to see you again. How have you been since we last spoke?" Lexa asks, genuinely wondering how things were going for the Skaikru omegas.

Brian stops a few feet away from Lexa, the other omegas just behind him, "I've been good. There was an alpha that came to speak to us all and she was nice. Some of us have been leaving the tent a little to look around. There are a lot of grounders who are omegas here."

Lexa nods in agreement, "Yes, there are. We have many omegas in our armies. Many of them participated in the battle against the Mountain. They will still be here until this camp is dismissed in another week."

Brian looks slightly uncertain when he inquires, "That's when we will be sent back to Camp Jaha?"

Lexa can tell he knows that's not what the plan is, but wants to test her. She understands his fear and tries to put him and the others at ease, "No, that is when you will be given the option to do as you please? Here on the ground, omegas have complete control over their lives, the same way alphas and betas do. We want to give that same power to you all. In a week's time, you will all be given the option to stay with our people and become your own people, or go back to Camp Jaha if that's what you wish. If you choose to stay with us, you will be taught our ways and will be given all the freedoms our people have. There is a village not far from here called TonDC. It is one of our most prominent villages. There are many families and people there that want to help you all. They have offered up their homes to you all while you recover from the Skaikru's abuse. You will all be able to live with them and learn from them."

As Lexa speaks, the omegas who had been hiding behind Brian slowly made their way forward. She can visibly see them relax as she tells them the plan. Brian himself looks more confident than before. She's glad she could help them relax.

Brian nods, "Thank you… There's something else I came to ask you about."

Lexa's eyebrows raise in a question, "Of course. Is there a problem?"

"Sort of…" Brian sighs softly and looks slightly worried. "There's one of us omegas who's still really scared. And I think it's because she's about to go into heat… I wasn't sure what we're supposed to do…"

"I see," Lexa gives them a gentle smile. "This is not a problem at all. Omegas here on the ground who go through heats have lots of choices. If they don't have a mate, they can choose someone to help them through heat sexually. If they don't want sex, omegas can choose someone to help them through heat without sex. Our alphas and betas are in control on their desires. They have no problem resisting an omega, even when in heat. Many omegas choose an alpha or beta to help them by simply being close to them, being held by them. We also have medicine that can help dull the effects of heat so it is not so painful for omegas. Or, if an omega is not comfortable with any of those options, they can choose to have other omegas help them through it, or go through it alone. It is completely up to the omegas how they want to go about things. This omega you know, she can choose to go through heat any way she wants."

Brian and the others seem to be more relieved by this news than anything else. One of the omegas in crying tears of joy while another comforts her. Lexa knows the idea of not being raped while in heat after all they've been through is probably more than they can handle. Brian's voice is choked up when he replies, "I will let her know all her options… Can that alpha who spoke to us before help us out with what she decides?"

Lexa smiles, "Yes, her name is Anya and she is one of my closest friends. She will be able to help with whatever she chooses."

* * *

As Lexa finally walks back into the healer's tent, a grin makes its way on to her face at the sight of Octavia and her omega _Natblidas_ all on the bed together talking. Octavia and Clarke both immediately turn to look at her, sensing her presence. Clarke smiles and makes her way over to Lexa as Octavia continues talking to the _Natblidas._ The rest of the group of children are on the other side of the tent still, near the rocking chair. Clarke pulls Lexa into a lasting hug, basking in the comfort of each other and having their omega so peaceful. Seeing her so traumatized the last few days has taken its toll on both of them.

"She's been calm since you left earlier. I think having the other omegas around calms her," Clarke whispers to her soulmarked.

Lexa takes note of the omega that has taken her seat since she left, "When did Nizon join the group?"

The fifteen-year-old omega is now in Lexa's seat talking to the three omegas in the bed. Clarke glances at them without leaving her soulmate's arms, "Octavia could smell his omega pheromones. She kept looking at him while he was playing with the others. Eventually he just came and sat with us. They've been quietly talking to each other and Eton and Neutro since you left. I've just been giving them a little space. I introduced myself to the others. Sando and Katya acted like they were having a competition of who could talk more. Aden didn't really say much. His alpha is strong, though. Usually kids his age don't have such strong pheromones."

Lexa nods while she looks at the little blond alpha, "He's only thirteen, but his alpha presence has always been strong. He's the sweetest boy, though, and I think it scares him a little bit. Before you came down to the ground, there was a threat in Polis. It was just a small group of rebels who weren't happy with the coalition, but one of them got into the Nightbloods' chambers in the tower. Aden's alpha took over. When I went in the room, the rest of the Nightbloods were curled up in the corner while Aden was beating the intruder to a pulp. After I got him calmed down, he took off and didn't come back for three days. He was really upset with himself and begged me to help him get control of his alpha. Since then I've been spending time with him separate from the others to help him get in touch with his alpha and control it better. He's doing better now."

Clarke swoons hearing about Lexa's caring relationship with the children. She feels bad for the younger alpha and hopes that he continues to learn from him _Heda_. Turning back to look at her soulmarked, Clarke mentions, "We should talk with Octavia tonight. We want to make it clear what our intentions are. She's probably going to be scared that now we'll force her to mate with us since Michael is out of the picture now."

Lexa nods, saddened by the fear her omega soulmarked probably feels, "The _Natblidas_ will be staying in my own tent since I am here with you. It will give us time to speak with her. Help her to relax. We still haven't had much time to talk to her. She panicked the first few times we saw her and then she asked for the procedure so quickly…"

Clarke gives Lexa small smile, "I know… It'll be alright."

* * *

Anya sits across from the Skaikru omega in shock. The girl had approached her after her meeting with the omegas and showed her their matching soulmark. Anya had been stunned, but brought Raven to speak with her in the camp's eating hall. The two had not really spoke, eating in silence on opposite sides of the table. Now, they were both staring at each other, not knowing what to say.

Eventually, Raven can't deal with the silence anymore and decides to start a conversation, "So… I'm Raven."

Anya takes a deep breath and nods, "I'm Anya."

Raven can tell the alpha is shocked, but the feisty omega hates the silence and decides to speak for the both of them, "So, I'm from the Ark. I guess you Grounders call my people the Sky People. I'm a mechanic."

"I don't know what that means," Anya interrupts.

"I fix things," Raven explains. "Like technology and machines and stuff. And I make bombs."

Anya's eyes go wide, "Right… alright… I'm sorry."

Raven frowns, "For what?"

"For acting like this," Anya clarifies. "I just… I really wasn't expecting this. I'm… I'm really happy though. I'm happy we've found each other."

Raven narrows her eyes at the other woman, "I will be too as soon as I know for sure you're not an asshole like the Ark alphas. So far you're doing pretty well."

Anya's eyebrows raise and she lifts her hands up nonthreateningly, "I'm not, I swear. I… I promise to always respect you and care for you and never try to control you and- "

"-Alright, calm down!" Raven stop the alpha from continuing on. "As I said, you've been very good so far. I'm just not used to this. It'll take a little time to gain my trust."

Anya nods quickly, reaching to grab one of Raven's hands from the table, "I'll do whatever it takes."

" _Anya_?" a voice calls out to her.

Anya reluctantly lets go of the omega's hand as one of the beta guards makes his way over, " _Sha_?"

" _Heda sent me to tell you there is an urgent matter with the Skaikru omegas in their tent. She asked if you would go and speak with the omega Brian. She said you should go as soon as you can to help,"_ the beta guard relays his Commander's message.

Anya sighs at having to leave her soulmarked so soon, but knows it must be important. Turning back to the omega, Raven cuts her off before she can even start speaking, "Don't worry. It's ok. I'll go with you... Wherever it is you're going. I can't really understand your language."

As Raven and Anya walk towards the Skaikru omega tent, Anya can't help but stare at Raven's braced leg as she limps. Raven obviously notices and decides to explain to the alpha, figuring her soulmarked deserves to know, "I got shot. It was sort of an accident but the bullet hit my spine. They took the bullet out once the Ark came down to the ground, but my leg will be messed up for the rest of my life. The brace on my legs helps me to walk."

Anya bobs her head, mostly understanding what Raven just said. She takes another second before she asks, "Does it hurt?"

Raven lets out a long breath, debating her answer. Finally, she decides on the truth, "Yeah, most of the time it hurts pretty bad. Sometimes if I'm laying down or I massage it… Sometimes I can get it to not hurt, but most of the time it's pretty bad."

Anya's alpha wants to whine with the pain of not being able to help her omega in pain. Arriving at the Skaikru omega tent, Anya decides to push away her thoughts for later as she smells the tell-tale pheromones of an upcoming heat from inside the tent.

* * *

 _Please a comment! Suggestions, criticisms, and ideas are all super helpful and help motivate me to write more! Thank you so much for reading! - Sam_


	8. Progress

Chapter Eight - Progress

Chapter Summary - Two new soulmarked meet. Grounder culture around omega heats is explained. Clarke, Lexa, and Octavia finally make some progress together.

 _Hi there readers! Back again with a new chapter. It's not quite as long as other have been, but it's still over 2000 words, so that's pretty good. I hope you like this chapter, it has a lot of dialogue, but a lot of long monologues almost from a few characters. Also, for those wondering, the Nightbloods are going to be playing a bigger and bigger role in the story so I hope you like them. Each of their characters will slowly be developed more, and now that Titus is gone and Lexa is their sole teacher for a while, their personalities will be able to come through a bit more. Trigedasleng is in italics as always._

 _If you could leave a comment it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading! – Sam_

 _Trigger Warning_

Progress

"Alright, it's time to let Oktevia rest now," Lexa announces to the children still gathered in the healer's tent. Immediately, Aden stands up, willing to listen to all of his _Heda's_ orders. Sando and Katya both hurry over to Lexa, asking about the camp and Titus and where they will sleep. The omegas surrounding Octavia take their time slowly separating from each other.

Clarke smiles at the little Nightbloods sitting with her soulmarked, "It was very nice to meet you both. I hope that we get talk more soon. And maybe you two can show me how you spar. We didn't have to train in the sky, so you two can be my teachers"

Eton and Neutro both seem excited by this prospect, and Nizon smiles from his seat on the other side of the bed. The older omega picks his younger peers up and speaks to Octavia, "It was nice to meet you, Oktevia. Maybe once you're better you and I could train together? I'm almost your age, so we would match up well for sparring."

Clarke's eyebrows raise at the look of hope in Octavia's eyes. She didn't think Octavia would be one to want to fight, but Nizon's idea seem to be something she would look forward to. Clarke puts that in the back of her mind to talk about with Lexa later.

As all of the Nightbloods gather around Lexa, she explains their new situation, "We're going to be staying here in the war camp for another week still. Then, we're going to move into TonDC while we are negotiating with Skaikru. You will all be staying with me this whole time. I'm going to sleep here in the healer's tent, so you can all sleep in my tent. There's plenty of room for you all there… And as for Titus… I've reassigned him. His skills are better put to use in a different job. I'll be finding you all a different _Fleimkepa_ soon, but in the meantime, I will be in charge of all of your training. Tomorrow morning, we will start when the sun rises. Good?"

The Nightbloods all seem ecstatic at the idea of not having Titus around anymore. Lexa had always been a great teacher and she was always good to them all, even when she had to be harsh in her training. But, Titus had always been slightly cruel to the children, believing they needed it to become leaders. No longer having to deal with Titus seemed like an amazing gift to the children.

After Lexa finished speaking with the _goufas_ , Nizon led them all out of the healer's tent and toward the large tent he knew to be his Commander's. Lexa and Clarke were looking forward to speaking with their soulmarked without her in a panicked stated, but that was put aside when Anya came in as the children left.

"I'm sorry, _Heda_ , but I needed to speak with you tonight." Anya bows her head slightly in reverence before looking at the other two in the room, "Sorry for interrupting, Klark, Oktevia."

Octavia is confused how this woman knows who she is, but she guesses that many people know due to the fact that Lexa is their Commander. The thought still scares her.

Lexa shakes her head a bit, "No, it's fine. What did you need?"

Anya quickly explains, "I went to see the Skaikru omegas like you asked. Brian explained about the girl going into heat. Her name is Harper and I think she's about Oktevia's age."

"I-I know Harper…" Octavia softly says, worried about interjecting. Clarke and Lexa only give her encouraging looks though, so she carries on, "We… We w-were in the o-omega ward t-together…"

Both of her soulmarked cringe at the reminder of what she had to endure there, but Anya readily moves on, "Yes, I could tell she is shaken. From her pheromones, I think she will probably go into heat in the next day or two. But, I know who her soulmark matches to."

Lexa furrows her eyebrows, "Do I know them?"

Anya nods, "Yes, it's Ryder."

Clarke asks, "Who is Ryder?"

Lexa turns back to face her soulmarked, "Ryder is a bit younger than me, but we were both trained by Anya when we were younger. We grew up together. Now, he's one of my personal guards. He's a good man. He will be so happy to have found his soulmarked."

"P-Please don't let him h-hurt her!" Octavia's shaking voice interrupts them. Clarke and Lexa quickly try to comfort their now crying soulmarked. Octavia's fingers squeeze her blanket as she continues, "P-Please.. she's g-good… D-Don't let him f-force her, p-please!"

"Little one, no one gets forced here, we promise," Lexa tries to reassure the girl, but she's already gone into a panic. Lexa turns back to Anya, "Find Ryder and have them talk about her options. Let me know tomorrow if everything goes alright."

Anya watches as Lexa and Clarke both hold their soulmarked close to comfort her. Anya hopes the Skai girl will learn not to fear her soulmarked soon.

* * *

"Harper, remember how I told you I knew who you're soulmate is?" Anya gently asks the omega. Harper is in her bed, curled up, shaking slightly. The large tent that the Skaikru omegas were given is a comfortable place. Full of soft beds and tables to sit and eat, the omega had gotten used to living there the last few days. Brian had become somewhat of a spokesperson for the omegas and he now sits with Harper as Anya speaks to them. A few other omegas sit around the tent, all eyes glancing at the alpha, worried about their friend going into heat. They're clearly unsure what will happen when Harper actually enters heat.

Finally, Harper whispers, voice rasping, "I remember. I can smell him… He's outside."

Anya is impressed by the girl's smell. The other Skai omegas had moved Harper to the bed furthest from the entrance when they sensed her heat approaching, trying to protect her as best they could. Anya assumed her smell is heightened by her soon to come heat.

"He is… He knows your heat is coming soon and he wants to speak with you about your options. Would it be alright if he came in to talk with you?" Anya explains as calmly as possible, hoping to keep Harper and Brian relaxed.

Brian seems to be alright with the situation, and his state of calm seems to help Harper stay calm as well. Harper slowly nods, but pulls her blankets up over her shoulders so only her head is showing, obviously trying to hide a bit.

Anya goes outside and beckons the worried alpha inside, telling him to calm himself down. Ryder quickly shakes off his worry and gives off the most relaxing pheromones he can.

As soon as Ryder sees his soulmarked, a smile takes over his face. He feels happiness runs through his body as he slowly sits in a chair a few feet from the bed. Brian has shifting positions, now leaning on his arm, which is cleverly place in front of Harper's body. Harper seems calmed by the boy's presence and Ryder is happy she is not too scared at the moment.

"Hi there," Ryder gently says. "I'm Ryder."

Harper eyes slowly flick to the soulmark on the side of his neck before she whispers, "I'm Harper."

Ryder smiles again, as softly as possible, "It's very nice to meet you. Anya told me about our soulmarks, and I'm so happy that I get to meet you. She also told me that you're about to go into heat, so I thought I'd tell you about how we handle heats here in the clans. I've heard that up in the sky, things were really bad for you all."

Sensing his soothing pheromones, Harper feels comfortable enough to agree, "Yeah, we got hurt."

Ryder's smile fades as he thinks about all his soulmarked has gone through, "I'm really sorry, Harper. But down here in the clans, we take care of our omegas, and we treat everyone equally. You have lots of options for your heat. In the clans, us alphas and betas learn to control ourselves. We learn from a young age how to keep ourselves under control no matter what, so we can help omegas through heat without losing control. I've had friends before who are omegas who want the presence of an alpha around, but not sex, so I've helped them. I just stay with them throughout heat and hold them if they want, and help keep their heat from becoming painful for them. I can do that for you, but only if you want. If you're not comfortable with that yet, then that's completely fine. You could also have your friends here, these omegas, help you through. Omega bonding can help lessen your heat pains. We also have suppressants you can take. And, if you really don't want anyone around, we could get you your own tent to stay in by yourself. It is completely up to you what you want to do, and everyone will respect your decision, I promise."

Harper lets out a sigh of relief as she realizes her soulmarked is not going to hurt her.

* * *

"Oktevia, no one is going to hurt you, little one. We promise we just want to make you happy, not hurt you," Lexa tries to calm her youngest soulmarked.

Octavia doesn't seem to hear either of her or Clarke's gentle words as she tries to twist away from them in the tiny bed. Clarke quickly stops her movements, "Octavia, if you want us to back up, we will. If you wanna stand up, you can. Just be careful, sweet girl. You're probably still weak from surgery."

Clarke and Lexa both take a step back to let Octavia do as she wants. Thankfully, the girl doesn't go running off. She simply curls up by the head of the bed and tucks her head into her knees.

Lexa at Clarke, lost for what to do. Clarke sighs and sits in the chair next to the bed, "Octavia, we don't know how to help you. We don't want to hurt you. I know things were bad for you on the Ark. I watched as all of you omegas were abused for years, and I couldn't do anything about it. But things are better here, I promise. Lexa and the grounders… they don't hurt omegas. They think that alphas and betas and omegas are all equal. There are even omegas in their armies. Me and Lexa, we think you're our equal. We are never going to hurt you, or force you into anything. In the clans, it's illegal to abuse anyone, including omegas. We know you're probably scared that we're going to force you to mate with us now that Michael's mark was removed, but we won't. We want to take our time and get to know each other. Nothing will happen between the three of us until all three of us are ready. We just… We need you to start to trust us, Octavia. We will earn your trust, we promise."

As Clarke is speaking, Octavia's head slowly started to rise. Her eyes had eventually search for Lexa's and locked with hers for a moment, before looking at Clarke. Gradually, the tensed and fearful pheromones coming off of her dissipated. When Clarke finishes talking, Octavia gathers the courage to softly ask, "Y-You're not… n-not gonna make m-me take your k-knots?"

Clarke cringes hearing the girl's fear out loud. Lexa frowns and quickly takes the other seat by the bed. Gently taking Octavia's hand in her own, Lexa vehemently shakes her head, "No. Never. We will never force you to do anything you don't want to do. Especially not something like that. Clarke told me what they did to you while you were in the omega ward, but we will never force you to do anything you don't want to. Never."

Octavia stares into Lexa's eyes, not breaking their gaze for a moment. Seeing the earnest truth in the alpha's eyes lets Octavia's fears be somewhat put to rest. She nods and pulls Lexa's hand further into her lap, holding on tighter. Clarke lays her hand on top of theirs' and the three take a minute to final relax.

* * *

 _Leaving a comment makes my day! Ideas, suggestions, and criticism is all welcome and encouraged! Thanks for reading! - Sam_


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